Ground water, is it safe?

Water is probably the most important basic nesessity, and is often taken for granted. I have a couple of old wells on my property that I am going to have tested for safety, this summer. I'm thinking that this is an "Underrated Concern", and will get increased attention soon. The Ogalalla Aquifer, which feeds much of the ground water sources locally has been on a steady decline for many years. At some point this will effect agriculture, and contribute to an increasing demand on all fresh water sources. The prospects for West/Southwestern States seems even more serious considering the growing population. Conservation, or alternatives, or don't worry, that's the question.

The Ogalalla Aquifer, which feeds much of the ground water sources locally has been on a steady decline for many years.

and if the midwest continues to use it, with the current methods for irrigation it will run dry. most people dont realize that ground water is considered a non renewable resource due to the extremely low recharge rates of aquifers.

If you live in town or near a town or city you need to be extra careful about what may be in the ground water.
The town that I live in has arsenic in the ground water. The amounts are likely not enough to do any short term damage, but continual ingestion/absorption of it may have long term repercussions. I still need to check the permissible levels of arsenic that is considered safe. Eventually I will drive a sand point well in the back yard and have the water tested. I do not think it is a good idea to ever rely 100% on city water supplies.

Modesto had to shut down a couple of their CITY wells due to Uranium in the water. Supposedly "safe levels" but I figure if they shut down the wells, then there may be more to it.

Areas around old gas stations and chemical plants do nothing to help the ground water. In this town there is one gas station in particular that I am aware of that contaminated the ground water for MILES around. It is so bad that the older homes that are on well water had water that was literally unfit to drink by man or beast. The owner of the gas station, my opinion of the bastard you can figure out, finally lost a law suit IIRC that made him responsible for buying everyone whole house water filters and paying the upkeep and maintenance on them. That still did not address the damage that had already been done, since the SOB knew the tanks had been leaking for a long time. Previous owner may have been aware of that as well.

There is an old chemical plant that the ground was considered toxic for as long as my memory can recall. Supposedly it was toxic enough that in order to build on it or do anything with it, the dirt would have to be excavated down some 20 or 40 feet. I have no proof on this one as it was word of mouth from a few old timers when I was a kid that told me this information. At any rate, I knew some of the guys that went in and dismantled the place, and I had been keeping an eye on the place for a LOT of years. They are now putting up what appears to be a 3 story structural building on that very ground. It was never excavated out and replaced with clean dirt.

My Dad was going to buy a house with some land on it outside of town in the country, when the well water was tested it contained too many nitrates and I want to say alkali's as well.

My point is if you are going to rely on well water, even shallow wells that you can drive yourself in most places via a sand point, use a good filter on your drinking water. Either buy the filter elements now, learn to make filters, or buy the filters you will need. It is better safe than sorry. Also just because your ground water tests good now, nothing says it is going to stay that way. Believe it or not I have heard of crank cookers dumping the waste down old wells in the country, just rumor, but I would believe it.

The Oglalla is some of the very best water in the entire world, feeds Southern SD as well. It's amazing how abused that source is. North-Central Nebraska "sand" farmers spray it on corn like it was free or something. Pivot irrigation, makes those crop circles you can see when flying over us in them big ol' jets. Lotta $money$ selling that corn. Absolutely couldn't reliably raise corn without it.